Telegram founder Pavel Durov authorized to leave France for Dubai for several weeks

Toncoin jumped 19% to approximately $3.5 on the news.

Key Takeaways

• Pavel Durov has been allowed to leave France for Dubai under modified judicial terms.
• Durov cooperated with authorities, providing information on over 10,000 users.

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Pavel Durov, the founder of messaging platform Telegram, has been granted permission to leave France for Dubai for several weeks, following modifications to his judicial supervision terms, Le Parisien reported Saturday, citing sources from AFP.

A source with knowledge of the matter confirmed to the news outlet that he departed from Le Bourget Airport near Paris this morning, with authorities’ approval.

Pavel Durov, the Franco-Russian founder of Telegram, was arrested at Le Bourget Airport last August and placed under formal investigation. He was released on bail of €5 million but remained barred from leaving France while the investigation continued.

French authorities have charged Durov with multiple criminal offenses stemming from Telegram’s use, including enabling the distribution of CSAM, facilitating drug trafficking, organized fraud, and other illegal activities. Telegram is also accused of non-cooperation with law enforcement by failing to provide requested information during investigations.

The CEO of Telegram appeared in a Paris court for the first time last December. According to an earlier report from AFP, during his first substantive interrogation on December 6, Durov maintained that he diligently responded to all official requests.

He reiterated that Telegram was not created to facilitate criminal activity, asserting that such activity represented a minimal portion of its user base.

Durov also claimed he was fully cooperating with French authorities, noting that they, including the president’s office and intelligence services, had his contact information.

In recent operations, Telegram reported responding to four legal requests in France during the first quarter of 2024, providing “identifying information concerning more than 10,000 users,” according to Durov. The investigating judge noted this figure’s relative scale against Telegram’s claimed 950 million users.

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